Bally’s Chicago Casino Faces Delay After Construction Halt
Illinois regulators have mandated a pause in construction on Bally’s planned permanent casino in Chicago. This action was taken after it was discovered that a contractor, reportedly linked to organized crime, was working at the site without having received the necessary authorization. Bally’s Corp was served with the work stoppage order on Thursday, May 2nd, as part of an ongoing investigation into the use of undisclosed and unapproved vendors on the construction project.
The issue came to light when reporters from the Chicago Sun-Times observed dumpsters belonging to D&P Construction at the Bally’s site. D&P Construction has historical connections to John and Peter DiFronzo, individuals believed to have strong ties to the Chicago mob. While both men are deceased, Peter’s widow was listed as an owner of the company for several years.
Following this finding, the regulators issued a statement explaining their directive: “an order to cease construction work on the Bally’s Chicago permanent casino in connection with a pending investigation into the use of undisclosed and unapproved vendors at the construction site…. staff learned earlier this week that D&P is providing or provided waste removal services at the permanent casino construction site. However, D&P was not disclosed and was not approved.” They stated that this discovery “raises several serious concerns” and confirmed that the matter is under investigation.
Bally’s acknowledged the work stoppage, stating they were “informed… that the contractors working on the Bally’s Chicago site were utilising an unapproved vendor and were issued a stop work notice.” The company described this as “the process at work” and asserted they are “working… to eliminate the possibility of it happening again.” A company spokesperson also informed the Sun-Times that a new process for vetting subcontractors is being developed. Construction cannot resume until this plan is approved by the regulatory body.
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This latest delay adds to existing pressures for the $1.7 billion project, which is required by state law to be operational by September 2026. The project has previously encountered obstacles, including a redesign and challenges in securing funding. Since September 2023, Bally’s has been operating a temporary casino in Chicago, which has generated $29 million in revenue this year and contributed $3 million in city tax revenue, falling short of the city’s initial $16.5 million projection for 2025.
The involvement of D&P Construction is particularly significant due to the company’s history. D&P was previously connected to the 2001 scandal surrounding the proposed Emerald Casino in Rosemont. At that time, regulators stated in a complaint that the “owner of D&P, Josephine DiFronzo, is married to Peter DiFronzo and is the sister-in-law of John DiFronzo, individuals who have been identified as known members of organised crime.
Emerald’s failure to exercise appropriate supervision resulted in work being performed at the site by D&P.” A 2005 FBI memo also alleged that D&P “obtained contracts through illegal payoffs or intimidation.” The Rosemont casino license was eventually revoked and subsequently awarded for a casino in Des Plaines, where Rivers Casino now operates. Rivers Casino has consistently been the state’s highest-performing casino, reporting over $2 billion in revenue in the last five years.
